There is, for example, disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 526,138, filed Nov. 22, 1974 by W. C. Palmer and Richard L. Seely, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application a generally channelshaped pin for support of an aperture mask in or on the envelope of a color television picture tube, such pin having a first end including a pair of legs for embedment in the glass of the picture tube envelope. In the employment of an apparatus for automatic handling such pins and inserting the pins in the tube envelopes, it was found that the wrong ends of some of the pins, that is, the ends of the pins on which said pair of legs was not included, would often be in position to be inserted into the tube envelope. Attempts to correct this problem were not too successful and, therefore, the pin of the present invention was developed, that is, there was developed a pin which is geometrically symmetrical and, therefore, regardless of which end thereof is positioned for insertion into tube envelopes such insertion can be made and the pin will be suitably oriented for support of an aperture mask.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel type of aperture mask support pin for support of an aperture mask in a color television picture tube envelope.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a support pin of the class mentioned and which is geometrically symmetrical on opposite sides of two planes extending normal or perpendicular to each other so that the pin can be turned end for end, that is, so that either end of the pin can be inserted in a picture tube envelope and the same structure or arrangement results.
Other objects and characteristic features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.